Pomerene’s Lowe earns national nursing award
Pomerene Hospital DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses winner Zach Lowe, left, receives his award from Pomerene CNO Fran Lauriha and CEO Jason Justus.
Most nurses wouldn’t describe themselves as superheroes, even though the work they do is extremely demanding. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a superhero as “an exceptionally skillful or successful person.” The description fits the bill.
Pomerene Hospital recently held a ceremony during Nurses Week celebrating several of their nurses for awards.
Jessica Boal, RN, was given the Nurse of the Year for Pomerene Hospital. Having been at Pomerene for less than a year, she has made an impact in the surgical services department where she works.
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a national award given to a nurse who is nominated by a patient or member of the community. It illustrates the critical patient experience. This year that award was given to Zach Lowe, RN.
Lowe, who works on the third-floor medical surgical team, is a 2018 Kent State Tuscarawas graduate, receiving his degree alongside his wife Alex Lowe, who also works at Pomerene as a nurse.
“I really liked the healthcare field, and I wanted to do something in that area, and I also enjoy working with people, so nursing seemed like a good fit for me,” Lowe said. “I say I chose Kent first and she followed me, but she would say the reverse.”
The DAISY Award was created in 1999 and is given throughout 5,000 hospitals nationwide. It is a way for patients, families and caregivers to express their gratitude for nurses who provide compassionate care.
Pomerene’sAlison Sprang said the DAISY Award honorees personify Pomerene Hospital’s remarkable patient experience. “The DAISY Award nurses consistently demonstrate excellence through their clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care,” she said.
Lowe was nominated by a patient he took care of, and they were very detailed on why:
“Zach was a pleasure to have as a nurse. His bedside manner was kind and caring, and his passion for his job showed in his nursing skills. Every question was answered with knowledge and respect. His knowledge was also noted as I witnessed his skill while teaching a student. He didn’t speak down to her and answered her questions kindly. Every encounter or call to him did not feel as if I was bothering him. I can’t say there was one particular moment so far while here, but more importantly, he is a prime example to other staff to follow day in and day out.
“After reading about your organization and how the DAISY Award was born, Zach embodies your vision for extraordinary nurses.”
“I try to make sure that my patients feel they can trust me,” Lowe said. “I want them to know and feel that I will put their needs first with all my decisions to create the best possible outcome for them. I want them to feel safe, understand what is happening and have as little worry as possible.”
Working through the last two years of a pandemic has taken a brutal toll on nurses worldwide. Lowe began his career as a nurse just in time to have his feet firmly planted on the ground before the pandemic hit.
“I really enjoyed my experience getting started as a new nurse, and I feel fortunate that I was able to train and get good experience on my own before COVID came,” Lowe said. “Part of healthcare is that it does come in waves and you go through very busy times and some less busy times as workers, and obviously, COVID brought unforeseen pressures, but it is what we signed up for to a degree, so you just have to roll with the punches.
“I gained a lot of great experience throughout the pandemic. Unfortunately, that may have come from a lot of sad situations, along with many positive outcomes, but overall, as nurses we were pushed to be more than we thought we could be. I’m sure we can all say we have learned a lot in a short time during that period. I feel that it has prepared me better to handle some of the very difficult situations that we face as nurses from time to time.”
Pomerene Hospital has a solid staff of nurses and medical personnel, and local hospitals are integral to bringing care to a very widespread and rural community.
“I’m extremely honored to receive this award,” Lowe said. “It does make me feel like my patients really do appreciate the care that I give them, and it feels very good when you know that your patients have had good experiences with the time you have spent with them. I feel blessed that this is the community that we get to take care of.”